Eight Hall of Fame jockeys — with combined earnings of more than $1.5 billion
from 49,163 victories — will compete in a pari-mutuel wagering event, The
Living Legends Race, on October 18 during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet as a
prelude to the following weekend’s Breeders’ Cup.
Held in conjunction with racing’s new Legends on Tour as well as the
Breeders’ Cup, Hall of Fame jockeys set to compete in Santa Anita’s
unprecedented race are, in descending order of age: Angel Cordero Jr., 65;
Jacinto Vasquez, 64; Sandy Hawley, 59; Pat Day, 55; Chris McCarron, 53; Jerry
Bailey, 51; Gary Stevens, 45, and Julie Krone, 45. Their average age is 55.
The allowance event will be contested at a sprint distance. Each rider’s
mount, a California-bred selected by draw, will be assigned 126 pounds. The
winning jockey will provide the elite group with its 49,164th combined victory
while increasing the number of total mounts by eight to 261,854.
“We are pleased to be able to host this unique promotion,” said Sherwood C. Chillingworth, Oak Tree’s executive vice president, in making the announcement
on Friday. “This truly is an event that will be difficult to ever duplicate with
such a distinguished, accomplished group of riders.”
The event will be carded as the 4TH race on October 18, and will be
preceded by a Living Legends salute and ceremony in the winner’s circle. Popular
local Hall of Famers Laffit Pincay Jr. and Eddie Delahoussaye, retired due to
injuries, as well as East Coast riding star Jorge Velasquez will serve as Living
Legends Ambassadors. Factor in their career figures (Pincay – 9,530 wins, $237,120,625 in earnings; Delahoussaye
– 6,384, $195,884,940; and Velasquez –
6,795, $125,544,379) and the assembled stars’ joint figures swell to 71,872
wins and earnings near $2 billion.
“I’m very proud to be associated with Legends on Tour and this race,” Pincay
said. “We’ve worked very hard to put this together.”
“I’d be surprised if we ever see the likes of this gathering again,” Bailey
added. “The total number of our wins and purse money takes your breath away.”
Exhibitions involving “old-time” jockeys have been staged at various racing
venues over the years, but none has included such a dazzling array of the
sport’s everlasting stars while being granted pari-mutuel wagering status.
Race victories and mount earnings by the participants during their active
careers are: Day – 8,803, $297,912,019; McCarron – 7,141, $263,985,505;
Cordero – 7,057, $164,570,227; Hawley – 6,449, $88,681,292; Bailey – 5,893, $296,104,129; Vasquez
– 5,228, $85,754,115; Stevens – 4,888, $221,207,064; and Krone – 3,704, $90,125,644.
For updates on the Living Legends Race at Oak Tree at Santa Anita visit
www.oaktreeracing.com, www.santaanita.com or www.legendsontour.com.